Joan Hamburg

Joan Hamburg (born August 12, 1935) is a radio personality in New York. In the early 1970s Hamburg started her radio career with small consumer (bargain shopping) segments on the long-running Rambling With Gambling morning show, eventually earning her own show. She grew up on Long Island and attended Barnard College before embarking on an advertising career.[1]

Hamburg is extremely celebrity, society, and show-business-conscious, and billed as "New York Radio's First Lady." The orientation of her broadcasts shifted dramatically from consumerism to a radio version of the Today Show,[citation needed] including the day's news, food and restaurant features, and celebrity and newsmaker interviews. Hamburg still takes consumer questions and gives listeners advice about restaurants, events, and the like.[2]Carol Channing, a regular listener, once called Joan Hamburg "The Yellow Pages of The World".[3]

Hamburg frequently broadcast from her favorite places instead of a studio -- Sardi's,[2]the Hamptons, Canyon Ranch, The Villages, Florida[4] and so on. She worked closely with her production staff to provide a seamless "I can find anything for you" expertise, sometimes discernible in a drawn-out "let me see" pause.

Beginning in January 2014, her Monday-Friday program became a feature on WOR-710 from 10:00-Noon, Saturday and Sunday. In May 2014 her program was cancelled after 35 years with the station.

As of September 20, 2014 Hamburg is heard on WABC-770, Saturdays 1:00-3:00 PM.